Why more than one photographer for your wedding

A lot of the time we get asked why we add the second photographer into ALL of our larger packages and why we push for it even on smaller and ala-carte weddings. After all it’s not cheap, why take a second shooter over printed proofs or a few hours of extended coverage. I always try to explain the advantages of angles to differing points of view, but sometimes I don’t get my point across as well as I’d like. Fortunately I often speak better with pictures than with words.

The first example is from a lovely wedding last summer. For the ceremony we split the coverage, one photographer following and focusing on the bride, the other the groom. I had the groom and since I was able to focus on him I was able to catch the moment his bride came through the trees and he saw her for the first time on their wedding day.

Catching that moment and those tears of joy was something that could have been lost forever if just one photographer had been moving around trying to grab shots of both the bride and groom. As a bride wouldn’t you want this moment captured forever, to show you grandchildren.

Sometimes having more than one point of view for a single moment with a bride and groom can also be vital. Take for example the kiss. Depending on which way the couple leans some viewers have an excellent photo opportunity, some not so excellent. Even if you know how the couple plans on doing the kiss and get in the right spot, well they might not have the pictures first and foremost in their mind (shocking I know) during this special moment.

At a recent wedding I was fortunate enough to have not only an extra, but two other photographers working with me to cover the service.

From one side – an excellent capture of that moment.

From the isle another capture of the moment that can be cherished.

And from the other side a lovely photo of the back of the grooms head. What if there had only been on photographer and this had been the spot they expected the best angle to be from.

So when you see that extra photographer fee in your packages, don’t think of that as the first thing to pull. Your photography coverage only has one chance to capture these moments – that extra set of eyes covering your special day could make all the difference in world.